Motor fuel composition



. Patented Feb. 15, 1944 umrsn STATE-S PAT'EN r orslcsi Moron roar. coMrosrrroN William .J. Backofi and Norman D. Williams, Chicago, John F. O'Longhlin, Winnetka Harry L. Meir, Niles Center, and John S. Yule/Chicase, 111., assignors to The Pure OilCompany, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Ohio a No Drawing. Application October 9, 1940..

. Serial No..360,406

19 Claims.

This application is a continuation-in-part of our application Serial No. 233,613,. filed October 6, 1938, and entitled Motor. fuel compositions" and is a continuation in part of application Serial No. 348,164 filed July 26, 1940' (now Patent No. 2,264,964) entitled Composition for treating motors and for addition to motor fuel."

This invention relates to the method of removing gum and carbonaceous deposits from mechanical parts, particularly internal combustion engines, and to novel compositions useful in connection therewith.

\ In the operation of internal combustion engines there is invariably formed as a result of though it is not composed wholly of carbon but includes other material as mineral matter from road dust drawn into the carburetor,metallic particles, gum and rust, etc. The so-called carbon element of the deposit is largely a result of incomplete combustion of fuel and carbonization of mineral oil. The incomplete combustion of fuel not only accounts for carbon deposition but undoubtedly also accounts for a deposit ofgum-like material as well, which under the prevailing conditions may be in a form ranging from -a fairly soft gum to a hard, brittle varnish-like substance. For purposes of convenience, the dedeposits from mechanical parts, particularly from the intake and combustion zones of internal combustion engines. I v

It is another object of the invention to pro- 5 vide a composition capable of removing gum and carbonaceous deposit from mechanical parts, particularly the intake and combustion zones-of internal combustion engines.

' It is a further object of this invention'to provide a composition which is adapted to be used in conjunction with gasoline or other fuels in internal combustion engines. When this gasolinesolvent fuel mixture is used in internal oombustion engines, it effectively minimizes the tendency is toward formation of carbon and gum deposists in both the intake system and combustion zone and in those engines where deposits of carbon and gum are already present and are interfering with eflicient operation, the deposist are substan- 20 tially decreased and/or removed, restoring the engine to higher operating emciency.

Still another object of our invention is to provide a material which may housed in conjunction with lubricating oils to reduce, minimize and remove carbon and gum deposists from internal combustion engines and from machinery in general where such deposits have a tendency to occur.

Further objects of the invention will appear so from the following detailed description.

It is known that a number of substances have been used in the past with some degree of success to remove or prevent deposits of carbon and gum in internal combustion engines. As a result of laboratory investigation and of commercial usage, it has been found that the materials disclosed in the prior art fail to effectively remove the deposits from both the intake system and the combustion zone. These materials. al-

' posits of materials in 'internal combustion en- 4o though possibly producing a slight improvement gines, described in the foregoing paragraph, will be referred to as carbon deposits.

7 It has also been noted that motor fuels such as the usual gasolines now on the market, form a deposit of a gum-like residue in the intake system of internal combustion engines. This deposit is usually most noticeable in the intake manifold and around the intake valves, and is generally referred to as gum. This deposition of gum is very objectionable and may be the cause of the improper functioning, or failure to function, of the intake valves whereby the operating efliciency-is materiblly impaired.

It is an object of this invention to provide a in engine operating conditions, are unsatisfactory for the reason that removal or prevention and'more powerful action,.such as halogenated organic compounds. The use of such materials frequently resulted in the corrosion of engine parts which, of urse, was highly undesirable.

The. effect of simplyincreasing the amount of solvent additive hasalso been tried but this method for removing the gum-and.carbonaceous change generally results in increasing the deposit in the combustion zone, apparently as a result of carbonization of the solvent itself or as a result of the efiect of the solvent action in the intake system, causing removal ofthe deposit there and the'carrying of the deposit; intothe combustion zone where, .due to the difference in conditions, such as temperature and pressure, de-

an engine in the manner-hereinafter described,

the gum and carbonaceous deposits which accumulate in the intake and combustion zones of interna1 combustion engines can be removed to such an extent that a mechanically sound motor after such removal will have its octane requirement reduced to approximately that of the same engine if it were completely mechanically cleaned and reconditioned. The efliciency of the engine is also improved tothe point-where it is in condition to operate with lower fuel consumption than before the injection of the aforesaid compounds. After the engine is placed, in this improved condition, if the englneis rurf on gasoline containing our novel solvent the ability of the engine to run with lower fuel consumption is maintained. While the nature of the solvent effect of the proposed combinations is such as to be classed as very active, under the conditions which it is used, yet the material is non-corrosive and does not injure in any way the metal parts with which it comes in contact.

The materials used in preparing the solvent in accordance with this invention are: (1) cyclic (including aromatic) ketones boiling over 350 F. having excellent. gum-solvent properties at elevated temperatures, and which may or may not have good gum-solvent properties at ordinarytemperatures; and (2) a compound or a mixture of compounds boiling below '350 F.,

having good solvent properties at ordinary temperatures, and which may be selected from the groupconsisting of esters of aliphatic acids, aliphatic alcohols and aliphatic ketones. As examples of the first group may be'mentioned furfural acetone, iso-phorone and benzo-phenone. Examples of group two are ethyl butyl acetate,

methyl amyl acetate, acetone, methyl amyl ketone, ethyl alcohol and ethyl acetate. The esters referred to are of that class of compounds that are true esters, i. e., an organic salt formed from an alcohol and an organic acid by elimination of water. The proportions of the various compounds indicated which may be used in such combinations of solvent materials may vary from 19 parts of a compound or mixture of compounds from group (1) as above defined, to 1 Part of a compound or mixture of compounds from group (2) as above defined to 1 part of the former to 19 parts of the latter, by volume. However, it is preferable to stay within the limits of from 17 parts of (1) to 3 parts of (2), t 3 Parts of (1) to l'lparts of (2). The proportions which give best results vary somewhat with the different compounds but fall within the range set forth. Material from each of groups (1) or '(2) should be present in the composition to the extent of at least 5% by volume and preferably 15% by volume.

Compositions in accordance with this invention in order to be most effective are injected into the engine to be treated when the engine is at normal driving temperature. The preferred method of injecting the solvent into socalled gasoline engines is to remove the air cleaner from the carburetor, and while the engine is running slightly faster than when idling, approximately eight ounces of the composition 5 is injected into the throat of the carburetor. The ignition is then turned off and the spark plugs removed. Approximately eight more ounces of the composition is injected into the engine through the spark plug holes, the composition being approximately evenly divided among the cylinders. The engine is then allowed to stand for about minutes and after having replaced the spark plugs, the engine is run for a short time with throttle partially open 15 and then accelerated intermittently until the exhaust smoke clears up. The entire treatment requires approximately one-half hour.

It will be apparent that more or less than 16 eounces' of solvent may be used for a motor treat- 20 ment depending on thecondltion and size of the motor and the concentration ofthe active ingredients in the solvent mixture.

When using the composition in the manner above described to eliminate deposits from the engine, it is advantageous to mix the ingredients having a Saybolt viscosity between 65 and 75' at 100 F. are suitable vehicles. Other vehicles boiling within the range of 350-850 F. and

either hydrocarbon or non-hydrocarbon may be 5 used provided they have good penetrating and wetting characteristics with respect to the deposits. Pine oil is an example of such vehicles.

The vehicle assists in thoroughly bringing the solvent composition into contact with the deposits which it is desired to remove and thereby enhances the effectiveness of the solvent composition in removing the depositions.

The quantity of vehicle may preferably comprise a minor portion of the composition and approximately 20 per cent by volume has been found to be particularly eifective when the solvent is injected directly into the motor. However, where the solvent is incorporated as an additive in gasoline or other motor fuel of similar boiling range, it has been found necessary to incorporate larger amounts of the vehicle to obtain satisfactory results and the vehicle should have a boiling range higher than that of kerosene distillate and a viscosity preferably between 70 and 500 'sec-' onds Saybolt Universal at 100 F. When the solvent is incorporated in the motor fuel as an additive, the ingredients the solvent should be maintained within certain definite ratios to obtain satisfactory results but may be varied within the limits of atleast 50 per cent by volume of vehicle (mineral oil or other equivalent material of required boiling range, viscosity, penetrating and wetting characteristics), 5 per cent to 15 per cent of one or more compounds selected from group (2) and the remainder being com- .posed of at least 5 per cent of one or more compounds from group (1).

When treating engines of the Diesel or semi- Diesel type the solvent may be applied to the engine by injecting it directly into the ports and/or placing a high concentration (545%) of the solvent in the fuel fed to the engine. The solvent may be applied to gasoline engines also by feeding gasoline containing high concentration of the solvent to the motor.

x I 2,841,892 The quantity of solvent which, when added to motor fuel, either of the gasoline; Diesel? or semi.

Diesel type is necessary to effectively remove 4 and/or minimize gum and carbon deposits may.

The amount of solvent to be used will vary,-within the limits specified, with difl'erent engines and with theme 51 service to which the engine is subjected. It has been found by experiment that in some cases, deviation from the proportions specified noticeably diminishes the eillcacy .of the solvents as indicated by an increase in the deposit in the combustion zone.

When using the novel solvent in Diesel orsemi- Diesel fuels, all or a substantial portion of which, for example, above 5%, boils above the kerosene boiling range, it is not necessary to use a'vehicle for the reason that the constituents in. the fuel boiling above the kerosene range act as a vehicle, Thus the vehicle may be added to or omitted from the solvent as desired. Where the vehicle is omitted the solvent comprising a mix-.

ture of group (1) an'd'group (2) compounds may be added in amounts of .02 to 2.5% by volume of the fuel. The ratio of group (1) to group (2) constituents in the solvent will be the same as that previously set forth, namely, from 1 part 2;)19 parts of group (1) to 19 to 1 parts of group As a specific example of a preferred combination of solvent additive, 'eighty parts by volume of a highly refined white mineral oil having the following characteristics:

- S. U. viscosity at 100 F 70-75 Color, Say +25 Flash (C. O. C.) F 350-360 Fire T... 406-420 is blended with ten parts benzophenone and ten parts ethyl acetate. This mixture is added to asoline in the proportion of 99.8 per cent by Zolume gasoline and 0.2 per cent solvent mix-.-

ure. is used in internal combustion engines, it effectively minimizes the tendency toward formation of gum and carbon deposits in both the intake system and combustion zone and in those engines where deposits of gum and carbon are already present and are interfering with eflicient operation, the deposits are substantially decreased and/or removed, restoring the engine to higher operating emciency.

g The following tabulationof data indicates the nature of the results obtained by the use of combinations of solvents within the scope of our in- When this gasoline-solvent fuel mixture- The above tests were made on stock motors mounted on test blocks and connected to a dyna mometer. The runs were made with a regular grade of commercial gasoline. In each case a blank run was made in which all conditions were identical with the conditions of the subsequent test run except for addition of solvent to the fuel.

The figures shown are in grams of deposit obtained from the combustion chamber and intake systems; The intake system deposit comprised allmaterial found up to and including the intake side of the intake valves. The deposits in all cases were carefully scraped from the engine parts until the metal was bare, and were then- Although the use of our novel gum solvents has been more particularly described in connection with removal of gum and carbonaceous deposits from the intake and combustion zones of automotive engines and in connection with motor fuels, it is to be understood that the solvents are useful as additives to motor oils and to lubriand carbon deposition is encountered. For example, when added in amounts ranging from 1 percent to 5 per cent to motor oils, depositions of carbon on the piston rings are substantially vminimized and removed. Likewise, gum deposition is substantially avoided when the gum solvents are used in the same proportions in industrial lubricating oils as, for example, spindle oils. When used in connection with lubricating oils, the solvent does not require the addition of vehicles since the oil itself acts as a vehicle.

The foregoing general description of the in vention and the specific examples described are sufficient to enable one skilled in the art to appreciate its value. The invention is not limited,

to the specific examples disclosed or to any. particular theory or mechanism of the action'of the gasoline additive butis to be interpreted as broadly as the prior 'art permits in view of the following claims.

We claim:

1. A composition useful as a gum solvent com prising at least 5% by volume of cyclic ketones boiling above 350 F. having gum solvent properties at elevated temperatures'and at least 5% by volume of material boiling below 350 F. having gum solvent properties at normal tempera tures and selected from the group consisting of esters of aliphatic acids, aliphatic ketones and aliphatic alcohols.

2. Composition in accordance with claim 1.

which comprises a vehicle boiling within the 'range of 350 to 850 F., and having good wetting and penetrating characteristics with respect to gum of the type deposited from motor fuels,

3. Composition in accordance with claim L in which the cyclic ketone is berizophenone and the material boiling below 350 F. is an ester of acetic acid.

4. A composition useful as a gum solvent comprising a mixture containing a minor proportion of refined mineral oilboiling within the range of 350 to 850 F., at least 5% by volume of cyclic ketone boiling above 350 F. which has gum solvent properties at elevated temperatures and at least 5% by volume of an ester of acetic mal temperatures.

acid boiling below 350 F., which has gum solvent properties at normal temperatures.

5. A composition useful as a gum solvent comprising a major portion of refined mineral oil boiling above the boiling range of kerosene, a minor portion of not less than 5 per cent of cyclic ketone boiling above 350 F. having gum solvent properties at elevated temperatures and between 5 per cent and 15 per cent of material boiling below 350 F. having gum solvent properties at normal temperatures and selected from the group consisting of esters of aliphatic acids, aliphatic ketones and aliphatic alcohols.

6. A composition useful as a gum solvent comprising a major portion of refined mineral oil boiling above the boiling range of kerosine, a minor portion but not less than 5 per cent of benzophenone and between 5 per cent and 15 per cent of ester of acetic acid boiling below 350 F. having gum solvent properties at nor- 7. A hydrocarbon motor fuel containing from 0.1 per cent to 5 per cent of a mixture containing 50 per cent to 90 per cent of refined mineral oil boiling above the kerosene boiling range, not less than 5 per cent of cyclic ketone boiling above 350 F. having gum solvent properties at elevated temperatures and 5 per cent to 15 per cent of material boiling below 350 F. having gum solvent properties at normal temperatures and selected from the group consisting of esters of aliphatic acids, aliphatic ketones and aliphatic alcohols.

8. A hydrocarbon motor fuel containing from 0.1 per cent to 5 per cent of a mixture containing 50 per cent to 90 per cent of refined mineral oil boiling above the kerosene boiling range, not less than 5 per cent of cyclic ketone boiling above- 350 Fhaving gum solvent properties at elevated temperaturesand 5 per cent to 15 per cent of ester of aliphatic acid boiling below 350 F. having gum solvent properties at normal temperatures.

9. A hydrocarbon motor fuel containing from 0.1 per cent to 5 per cent of a mixture containing 50 per ment to 90 per cent of refined mineral oil boiling above the kerosene boiling range, not less than 5 per cent of cyclic ketone boiling above,

. 350 F. having gum solvent properties at elevated temperatures and 5 per cent to 15 percent of aliphatic ketone boiling below 350 F. having gum solvent properties at normal temperatures.

10. A hydrocarbon motor fuel containing from 0.1 per cent to 5 per cent of a mixture containing 50 per cent to 90 per cent of refined mineral oil 5 boiling above the kerosene boiling range, not less than 5 per cent of cyclic ketone boiling above 350 F. having gum solvent properties at elevated temperatures and 5-per cent to 15 per cent of aliphatic alcohol boiling below 350 F. having gum solvent properties at normal temperatures,

11. A hydrocarbon motor fuel containing from 0.1 per cent to 5 per cent of amixture containing 50 per cent to 90 per cent of refined mineral oil boiling above the kerosene boiling range, not less than 5 per cent of benzophenone and 5 per cent to 15 per cent of ester of acetic acid boiling below 350 F. having temperatures.

12. The method of removing gum and carbonaceous deposits from mechanical parts, which comprises contacting said parts while'at elevated temperatures with a mixture containing at. least gum solvent properties at normal- 14. Method in accordance with claim 12, which comprises a vehicle boiling within the range of 350 F. to, 850 F., and having good wetting and penetrating characteristics with respect to gum elevated temperatures and not less of the type deposited from motor fuels.

15. The method of removing carbonaceous deposits from internal combusition engines, which comprises bringing into contact with said deposits while the engine is hot a mixture containing not less than 5% by volume of cyclic ketone boiling above 350 F. having gum solvent properties at than 5% by volume of material boiling below 350 F. having gum solvent properties at normal temperatures and selected from the group consisting ofaliphatic esters, aliphatic ketones and aliphatic alcohols, permitting the mixture to remain in contact with the deposits for a sufllcient period of time to penetrate and wet the same, and eliminating the loosened deposits from the engine through the exhaust by starting the engine.

16. Method in accordance with claim 15, in which the mixture contains a minor proportion of a vehicle boiling between 350 F. and 850 F. and having good penetrating and wetting characteristics with respect to the deposits.

17.'The method of removing gum and carbon deposits from internal combustion engines which comprises injecting into said engines the following materials in the following proportions:

1. Cyclic ketoneboiling above 350 F. having gum solvent properties at elevated temperaturesnot less than 5 per cent.

2. Material boiling below 350 F. having gum solvent properties at normal temperatures and selected from the group consisting of esters of aliphatic acids, aliphatic ketones, and aliphatic alcohols-not less than 5 per cent.

18. Method in accordance with claim 17 which comprises injecting into said engines a minor portion of vehicle boiling within the range of 350 F. to 850 F. and having good wetting and penetrating characteristics with respect to gum of the type deposited from motor fuels.

19. A hydrocarbon motor fuel, a substantial portion of which boils above the kerosene boiling range, containing from 0.02 to 2.5% of the following materials in the following proportions:

1. Cyclic ketone boiling above 350 F. having gum solvent properties at elevated temperatures-not less than 5 per cen 2. Material boiling below 350 F. having gum solvent properties at normal temperatures and selected. from the group consisting of esters of aliphatic acids, aliphatic ketones, and aliphatic alcohols not less than 5 per cent. V WILLIAM J. BACKOFF.

NORMAN D. WILLIAMS. JOHN F. O'LOUGHLIN. HARRY L. MOIR.

JOHN S. YULE. 

